Forest Sisters

Reunion

Hugo's POV

I had just gotten out of the shower. Small water droplets were doing down my neck, and there was a bucket full of sand stool stuck on top of my head. Every time I scratched my head, I could hear the sand moving around. I grin at the memory of Ivy pushing my face into the sand, the look on her face when I laughed at her. Oh, her laugh. It was a genuine laugh, not a forced, flirty giggle.
I start up the hill, hoping Ivy was still there. You know, because I don't want her to get lost. Yeah, that's why I feel this way, right? I want to protect her because she's new here, needs friends. Nothing more. But if that's so, then why does something seem different. I shake my head, trying to knock the thoughts out of my head. I crest the hill and look around. There are a couple campers walking away, taking excitedly, but none of them seem to notice me. I scan the hill for Ivy. I was just about to turn around and check the cabin when I see her. It wasn't Ivy, but someone I hadn't seen in a long time. She had changed a lot, but I could tell it was her. A wide smile spreads across my face.
She notices me and her face brightens, tears forming in her blue eyes. "Hugo!" Aquille screams. She starts running towards me and I throw my arms out, ready for the hug to come. When she makes it, she clings to me and I wrap my arms around her, hugging her to me. We stand there, and I see a small tear fall down her cheek. I laugh, picking her up and hold my arms out as start spinning around, making her legs fly out from under her and out from us. She clings into my arms and laughs. I bring her back to me and give her one more tight hug. I pull away and place a kiss on her forehead.
I look down at her as amazement, joy, and relief all seem to run through me at once. "Where have you been?" I ask. She shrugs, a goofy grub on her face. "You know, here and there, running from this thing to the next." I laugh. The last time I saw her she was only twelve, but now she should be around sixteen if I remember right. I look her up and down. She had grown profusely since I last saw her. I frown. "What?" She asks, worry in her voice. I look away and mutter to my self. "What did you say?" She asks again. I sigh and tell her. "Now I have to watch all those boys go after my cousin? I think I'd rather face some monsters." Aquilla laughs at me and takes a step back, her hands on her hips. "Oh, shut it Hugo. I can take care of my self." I smile down at her, then I realize something. I put my hands to my head, stumbling back, my eyes wide. "But if your here, then that means . . ." She smirks at me and looks around.
"So this is the camp you've been disappearing to. Nice place, maybe I'll sign up." I try to give her a stern look, but I think I failed. "Don't change the subject. If your here, that means . . ." My mind goes into overload. If she's here, that means one of her parents must be an Olympian. Well it can't be her mom, she's my mother's sister. They look almost identical and I've seen pictures. That must mean it's her dad. My aunt had already remarried, but Aquilla was her first kid. Aquilla had been my best friend ever since we met. It had been difficult not to tell her about this side of my life, and when she went missing a couple of years ago I had thought the worst has happened. I never would have imagined this though. I had been stressed out for years, hoping she was alright, while at the same time afraid I'd never see her again. She had sent a couple letters, around the same time each year. It would always been a birthday card and a Christmas card, but she never really mentioned where she was, only wishing me a happy birthday and a merry Christmas. About a year ago I recieved an e-mail from her and we had been e-mailing back and forth, but this was the last place I expected to find her. I hugged her again, remembering how scared I had been. I step back again and look at her.
"So," I stay, leaving the words hanging in the air. "So?" She says, a mocking grin on her face. "Well," I say, "do you know who your, um, well, you know about the camp, right, or maybe not, but, do you know, like, you know?" My words are one big jumble, but she has always been able to understand me, even when I talk gibberish. She smiles up at me, a twinkle in her eyes. "My dad's Poseidon." She says.
I slap my forehead in shock. "Really?" I say. "One of the big three. Wow, I'm related to the kid of the big three." She laughs at my shocked expression. "So," she says slowly, "who's your dad?" I don't meet her eyes. "Hermes." I say. She laughs. "I should have known." She says. I raise an eyebrow at her. "You know, he's the traveler. Not very surprising that you got him for a dad. You know, like father like son." I let out a frustrated sigh. "He is also a thief and messenger. I don't have either of those skills, and when your dad's a thief, not too many people trust you." She laughs again, and I can't help but chuckle along with her.
"And besides," I say, "I'm not the one who ran away to go travel someplace exotic." She glares at me. "What?" I ask. Her shoulders slump. "Another story for another time." Silence falls for a few awkward seconds. "So," I say, "did you ever end up e-mailing your mom?" She nods. "Was that before or after you e-mailed me? Come on, you know, bud before blood." She laughs and playfully punches me in the arm. "Oh, shut up. You realize you are blood, right. And yes, I did e-mail you first." I do a little fist pump in the air.
"What is it with fist pumps in the air today?" She asks. "What do you mean?" I ask. She sighs. "First my half brother does one then you? If I remember right you didn't usually do those kind of things. Is it the camp, are there classes on that subject? Dork one-oh-one?" We both laugh. I throw my arm around her shoulder and start leading her down the hill. "Come on, I'll show you around my little cam-" I trail off. Down in the middle of the field is Ivy. From a distance I can't really tell, but something looks wrong. She walks too stiff, as if trying to hide something. Most people wouldn't know it, but from the short amount of time I had known her, I got to know a littl bit more about her, not the shell she hides behind. She seemed to be happy earlier, but now something was wrong.
I completely forgot about Aquilla until she poked my chest. "You like her." She says teasingly. I look down at her. "What? Who do you think I like?" She smirks at me and points down the hill with her thumb. From the direction she's pointed, it almost looks like she's pointing at Ivy. But she must be mistaken, right? "No, of course not. She's the new camper and doesn't have a lot of friends, and I wanted to, you know, make her feel welcome." She smirks at me. "Okay then." She says, looking down the hill at the lake. "I just haven't seen you look at someone like that for a long time." I smirk down at her. "You haven't seen me in a long time." I say, trying to distract her. "Okay, okay, my mistake." She says, putting up her hands in mock defence. "Come in," she calls, running down the hill. "Show me around your little camp!" I start to follow her when I notice something. Ivy had been heading towards the cabin, but what chills my blood is what's behind her. Coming towards her are a mob of campers, and leading the pack is Samantha. In her hands ate clutched some papers but I'm too far to see what they're about. She has tears on her face, but her expression doesn't mach the wet tears. She is smirking, her smile as wide, reminding me of the Cheshire cat. I can tell the tears are fake, and what worries me is that I know that look. The campers behind her looks concerned, and in that crowd are even some of the older campers, the leaders. They look worried and curious as they follow her, going on a straight path towards the unsuspecting Ivy. I start to run after them, but I know I'll be too late for what ever is coming.